Spring action desk pad holder



March 3, 1959 J. POT'I 'S v v 2,876,021 SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER vFiled June 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 3, 1959 J. POTTS 2, 6,

SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER Filed June 20, 1956 k2 sheets-sheet 2United States Patent SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER Jolm Potts, Chicago,

pany, Chicago, 11].,

Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,634 4 Claims. (Cl. 281-15)Ill., assignor to Wilson-Jones Coma corporation of Massachusetts Thisinvention relates to a spring action desk pad holder, and isparticularly concerned with means .for

vmaintaining a compressor plate in contact with the uppermost sheet of apad or stack of sheets mounted in a holder and from which individualsheets may be removed from time to time.

The pad holder is designed primarily for calendar pads, but may be usedadvantageously with memorandum pads or other similar stacks of sheetswhere the uppermost sheets are torn off and discarded. A compressorplate if desired. The compressor plate is also easily removable so thatthe uppermost sheet may be removed in its entirety, if desired, insteadof being torn across adjacent its top edge.

' The chiefobject of this invention is to provide means for holding astack or pad of sheets under spring pressure at all times regardless ofthe height of the stack or pad. The structure by means of which theabove and other objects and advantages are attained will be described indetail in the following specification, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment ofthe invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pad the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pad holder with the pad removed;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the pad holder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the structure forholding the pad under spring pressure;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the compressor plate adapted to fit overthe upper edge of the pad; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken along the line 7-7of Fig. 1.

The pad holder comprises a base 2, a compressor plate 3, and springpressed mechanism for urging the compressor plate towards the base andthereby exerting pressure on a pad or stack of sheet 4 positioned on thebase and having the compressor plate lying across the upper edge of theuppermost sheet.

The base 2 is preferably molded of any suitable plastic, although itcould be formed from sheet metal, or cast from some light metal, such asaluminum. The base is provided at its lower end with a trough 5 forholding a pencil or the like. A recess 6, formed by :1 dependingcylindrical flange 7, is provided at each sideof the base adjacent thetrough 5. A cushioning pad 8, of rubber or any suitable composition,fits snugly into each of 'the recesses 6 to space the lower edge of theholder from the surface of the desk.

holder embodying compressor plate against the sheets. Flange 9 is pro-,vided with integral reinforcing ribs 12. The underside of base 2 has aplurality of integral ribs 13 depending therefrom to reinforce the base.The upper surface of the base is depressed, as indicated at 14, tofacilitate positioning of the sheets 4. The sheets are provided adjacenttheir upper edge with two apertures 15 which register with apertures 16in the depressed area of the base when the sheets are positioned in saiddepressed area.

The compressor plate 3 is preferably made of plastic to match the base,but may be made of metal. The upper surface of the compressor plate maybe decorated in any desired manner as, for instance, by advertisingmaterial of the donor, if the pad holder is to be given away foradvertising purposes. The compressor plate has a depending flange 17adapted to abut the upper edges of the uppermost sheets, and apair offlanges 18 adapted to abut the sides of said sheets. A pair of posts 19extending through keyhole slots 20 in the compressor plate have enlargedheads 21 adapted to pass through the enlarged portions of the key holeslots. The enlarged heads 21 permit removal of the compressor plate whenthey are in registration with the enlarged portions'of the slots 20 andprevent such removal when they are in registration with the smallportions of the slots. The lower ends of the posts 19 whichsarethreaded, as indicated at 22, are adapted to pass freely throughapertures 16. I

A tubular boss 23 depends from the underside of base 2 in registrationwith each aperture 16; Only one of these will be described since thestructure isduplicated at the other side of the pad holder. The innerdiameter of boss 23 is larger than the diameter of aperture 16 so as toloosely receive the upper end' of a tubular sleeve 24 provided with avertical bore 25 threaded to engage the threaded end 22 of post 19.Sleeve 24 is provided with an external annular shoulder 26, and aretaining nut 27 threaded on the lower end of boss 23 has an annularhorizontal flange 28 extending inwardly far enough to form a stopadapted to engage shoulder 26 when sleeve 24 is in its lowermostposition, and thereby prevent separation of sleeve 24 from boss 23.

The sleeve-24 serves as a supporting leg for the base, and its lower endis counterbored, as indicated at 29, to receive a cushioning pad 30similar to the pad 8. The upper end of sleeve 24 is recessed, asindicated at 31, to provide a seat for a compressionv spring 32. Theother end of spring 32 bears against the underside of base 2 to exert aconstant force urging base 2 upwardly, thereby holding the sheets undercompression between p1ate'3 and base 2.

In order to position a pad 4 in the holder both posts 19 are unscrewedfrom the bores 25 of sleeves 24. Springs 32 will then force base 2upwardly until flanges 28 abut shoulders 26. After pad 4 is positionedin the depressed area 14 the compressor plate 3 is placed on the upperedge of the uppermost sheet of pad 4 and sheets. When flanges 28 abutshoulders 26 so that further upward movementof the base is impossible,the

postsv 19, maybe :screwed downwardly-1 into :bores 25 tomovewompressonplate- 3downwardly towards the base to maintain thecompression. 4

Although ,I have,:described a. preferred embodiment v.; of the inventionin considerable'detail,:itlwill be-*undertsloodethat the descriptionthereof is intended "to be illustrative,

rather. thantsrestrictive as many details may be ,modifiedor. changedwithout departing from- -the spirit onscope of, theinvention;Accordingly,- I do-not desire ,1 tobe restricted to theexact structuredescribed,

except as limited by the appended claims. ;Iclaim: 1,. a 8

, 1. A. pad holderl-cdmp rising ta base,:a :pluralityof sheetspositioned on said base, a compressor plate-overspring; between. saidbase and said sleeve, said spring being, effective to move said base andsheets upwardly relative to said post-,andsleeve to maintain stacks ofsheets of varying heights under'compression. 1 I

;A pad holder comprisingtasbasea tubular boss 4, depending from theunderside-of-said' base, a sleeve havi ng one-end fitting loosely withinsaid tubular boss, at ,retainingnut secured to the lowermost end of saidboss, ,-said nut having an aperture of less diameter than the diameterof the end of the sleeve fitting within said boss, said .nut therebypreventing separation of said sleeve tf rom said base, a post extendingthroughsaid base into ..,thr eaded engagement with said sleeve, and aspring be- ,of; sheets; compressed :between .said base end of said postwillz-be maintained under compression plate,

. tween said ,sleeveiandsaid. base to -urge said base upwardly relativeto said sleeve and post, whereby a stack and: the upper as, the height,ofsuch stack. is changed.

3, A pad holder comprising a base,--acompressor a plurality of sheetsinterposed between said plate and said base, a pair of posts extendingthrough said compressor plate, sheets" and base, a sleeve in threadedengagement with each post, said sleeves being movable in a substantiallyvertical direction relative to said base,

an exterior annular shoulder on each of said sleeves, a

pair of retaining nuts "secured to said base and engageable with each'of said" shoulders to prevent separation of said sleeves and said base,and a spring between each of 'said' s'leeves Ia nd'sa'id-base to urgesaid base'towards 10 said c'ompres'sorplate to compress varying numbersof sheets ,g-therebetween. j j

4. A pad holder comprising a base for supporting a plurality of sheets,'a'boss" depending from the underside of said base, said boss having avertical bore, a retaining nut secured to the lowermost end portion ofsaid boss, said retaining nut having a horizontal flange extendinginwardlybeyond the outer edge of said vertical bore, a sleeve having anupper end portionpositioned within' said bore, said' u'pper end portionof said sleeve haVlI1 g"a'Il external shoulder'positioned'within saidbore, saidsleeve havinga threaded" verticalbore, a 'slieet' fetainingpost extending through said base, a s tack'of sheets mounted thereon;s'aid fpost being threaded into saidlast mentioned bore;ia compressorplate adaptedto be'heldagains't the upper end'ofsaid'post by" sheets--mounted"on said basejan'd a compression sprin g'fin't'ersaid baseanda'por'tion posed between 'the' underside of" ofsaid sleeve, saidspringjurging'said baseup'wardly --r'elative to saidsleeveand'sheetretaining post'tofl in.

go' tain' a stack of sheets" on "said basefundercompression *assaidstack is diminished in thickness; until the flange engages the externalshoulder on said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS KempNov. 18, I930 1,782,985 Clark Nov. 25, 1930 40 2,185,151 Kemp Dec. 26,1939

